Falling for the Bad Brother//A Noah Flynn Story

Chapter 9

Ashley's POV 

"It was perfect. He was so gentle with me," Elle says, leaning in across the booth, a blissful smile lighting up her face.

We'd met up for lunch at the diner, our go-to spot when we wanted to catch up. As she talks about her night with Lee, I smile, glancing down at the menu.

"That's so sweet," I say, sneaking a glance at her happy expression. I'm genuinely happy for her.

She smirks, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "What about you and Noah? When are you two going to... you know?" She waggles her eyebrows teasingly.

"Umm..." I feel my cheeks warm. "I don't know. We want it to be special, you know?"

"That's fair." She takes a sip of her banana milkshake, nodding thoughtfully.

I change the subject. "So, any plans for Thanksgiving?"

"Honestly, I was thinking Dad, our brother, and you and I could stay in. Just us, like always," she says, shrugging.

"Sure, that sounds nice. I was just wondering since Noah invited us all over to his family's for Thanksgiving," I say.

She smiles but shakes her head slightly. "That's sweet, but we've done that the past two years. I think it'd be nice to stay home, just the four of us this time."

"Alright." I nod, letting it settle, and glance out the window at the beach. Just then, a motorcycle pulls up, catching my eye.

The guy takes off his helmet, and I recognize Noah. A girl hops off the backseat with him.

"Hey, who's that with Noah?" I ask Elle, nodding toward them.

She follows my gaze. "Oh, that's Brittany—his cousin. She's visiting from Australia."

"Oh, alright," I say, relief washing over me as I watch them approach.

Noah spots me and smiles, making his way over with Brittany. As I stand, he wraps me in a warm hug and gives me a lingering kiss.

"Hey, babe, didn't know you'd be here," he says as we all settle into the booth.

"Me either. Elle and I just wanted to catch up." I smile, glancing over at Brittany.

Noah gestures to her. "Ash, this is my cousin, Brittany. She's here for a few days. Brittany, this is Ashley."

"It's so nice to meet you!" Brittany says warmly. "Noah talks about you all the time."

"Oh, really?" I raise a playful eyebrow at Noah. "And what does he say?"

Brittany grins. "Only that he's crazy about you—smart, beautiful, talented. You know, all the usual boyfriend things."

I laugh, feeling a warm blush. "Well, he's not wrong."

Noah rests his hand on my thigh, and I feel a shiver run through me as he gives me that familiar look of quiet affection. Our eyes meet for a moment that feels like it could stretch on forever.

The waitress comes by, and we place our orders. Noah and I decide to share chicken tenders and fries, while the girls each get burgers. When the food arrives, Noah immediately grabs a handful of fries.

"Hey, we're supposed to be sharing these!" I protest.

Brittany laughs. "Oh, Ash, watch out. He's notorious for hoarding fries."

"See? I warned you," Noah says, popping one in his mouth with a smirk.

"Alright, fine," I say, rolling my eyes with a grin. He chuckles, giving my thigh a gentle squeeze.

After we finished our meals, we kept chatting about school, life, and Thanksgiving plans. Eventually, Brittany and Elle decided to take the motorcycle and go shopping together, leaving Noah and me at the diner.

"Well," Noah says, grinning as he watches them leave, "looks like it's just the two of us."

"Finally. We can actually get some alone time," I laugh, nudging him.

He leans closer. "So, what do you want to do?"

I think for a moment. "How about a movie? I heard The Huntsman is showing again."

"Perfect," he says, sliding out of the booth as I follow, leaving money on the table for our food. We step out into the cool air and head toward my car.

At the theater, we run into Lee at the ticket counter.

"Hey, man, didn't know you'd be working tonight," Noah says as we pick up our tickets.

Lee sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wasn't supposed to be. Someone called in last minute."

"Rough," I say, noticing the tired look in his eyes. "You feeling okay?"

He shrugs. "Not really. I think I might be coming down with something."

"Well, hang in there," Noah says, giving him a sympathetic pat. "Feel better soon."

With that, we grab our snacks and head inside. As we settle into our seats, Noah places the popcorn and drinks between us, then drapes his arm over my shoulder. The theater lights dim, and as the movie starts, I lean my head against him, feeling his fingers interlace with mine.

As the movie unfolds, I feel completely wrapped up in the story, but I'm also hyper-aware of Noah's warmth beside me. Every now and then, he absentmindedly runs his thumb across my knuckles, sending a pleasant warmth up my arm. It's hard not to steal glances at him, and I catch him looking at me a few times, his eyes soft in the theater's dim glow.

As the credits finally roll, we linger in our seats for a moment, just enjoying the quiet calm of the now-empty theater. Noah turns to me, brushing a strand of hair from my face.

"Did you like it?" he asks, his voice soft.

"Yeah, it was really good." I smile up at him. "I think I'll be watching that one again."

He chuckles, eyes sparkling. "You know, I didn't pay that much attention to the plot," he admits, his gaze settling on me in a way that makes my heart skip.

I laugh, nudging him lightly. "Same here."

We make our way out of the theater, stepping into the cool night air. The streets are quieter now, with only the distant hum of traffic and the faint smell of popcorn lingering on the breeze.

"So," he says, tucking his hands into his pockets as we walk toward my car. "Are you really planning on staying home for Thanksgiving?"

I shrug, biting my lip. "I don't know. Elle seems set on it. She wants it to be just us, you know?"

He nods, thoughtful. "Makes sense. But it would be nice if you could be there with me." He hesitates, and I can see a hint of vulnerability in his eyes.

"I'll talk to Elle again," I say softly. "Maybe we can work something out, so I can be with both of you."

A slow smile spreads across his face. "I'd like that."

We reach my car, and for a moment, we just stand there, not quite ready to say goodbye. The night feels electric, as if this quiet moment holds more than either of us is ready to say.

Noah steps closer, his hands sliding around my waist, and I wrap my arms around his neck. He looks down at me, his face inches from mine, and I feel the familiar flutter in my chest.

"Thanks for tonight," he whispers. "This was...perfect."

"Yeah," I reply, barely above a whisper. "It really was."

And then, he kisses me—slow, tender, and filled with everything unspoken between us.

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